Chapter 50:

Serena's Emotions

After Ash and Mallow chatted, the walk back to the Pokémon Centre was a lot more comfortable. The streets were golden beneath the dusk sky, and nature itself basked in the late afternoon serenity. Neither Ash nor Mallow had much else to say after divulging their innermost feelings, but what else was there to say when you finally understood each other?

"Professor Kukui! Lycanroc!" Ash exclaimed when he stepped through the Poké-Centre's sliding doors. Kukui was crouched down in the lobby, brushing a hand over Lycanroc's fur, which was as golden as the sunset outside. Brock, Kiawe, and Dawn were there too, chatting and admiring Lycanroc.

When Lycanroc heard Ash's voice, he looked up quickly, his tail started spinning faster, and he bounded through the small crowd. Ash readied himself just in time; Lycanroc leapt at him, and they clattered to the ground, hard. Ash laughed as Lycanroc frantically licked his face.

"Is everything alright, Professor?" Ash asked when Lycanroc finally relented. He swung himself into a sitting position, smoothing Lycanroc's fur in the meantime.

"Yeah, he's all good," Kukui said. "It ended up being longer than a day or two, so sorry 'bout that. We wanted to search as many papers and old books as possible, but Samson doesn't know anything about this type of Lycanroc either. He's a completely undiscovered version, it seems. Which, yeah, it's pretty cool." Kukui folded his arms and grinned. "I'm coinin' it the Dusk Form. Whaddya think?"

"That's very fitting," Ash said. "Dusk Form Lycanroc it is, then."

"With both previous evolution's moves, too. It's amazing."

"If it would help, I'll keep you posted whenever he learns a new move or something like that."

"That'd be great, Ash!" Kukui reached out his hand, and Ash grasped it. Kukui pulled him up, then they firmly shook hands. "By the way, Burnet mentioned you put her in contact with someone who knows about Ultra Wormholes. Thanks for that. It means a lot to her."

"I'm glad I could help. I'm interested in the subject too."

"I see. It's a strange one but interestin' all the same." Kukui nodded. He glanced side to side as if stalling for a moment. "Ash, I gotta talk to you 'bout something sometime soon. I'm a bit busy at the moment, but will you be free to chat in a few days?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm free anytime," Ash said. "Are you that busy?"

"Well, ya know, I've got a few things to take care of." He nodded and placed his hands on his hips. "Right. I'll see you soon, then," Kukui said, and he headed out with a quick wave. Ash watched him go, his brow furrowed. But he let his thoughts leave him. Kukui would tell him what was on his mind soon enough, and his friends were right beside him. They started discussing Lycanroc, and it lasted until it was dark out.

Just before Ash headed to his room for the night, Mallow pulled him aside.

"Thank you for today, Ash," Mallow said. "I feel a lot better now that we talked things out a little bit."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, me too. I've never been one to slow down and talk about things like that. It was… surprisingly helpful."

"Yep! It's always useful to have a friend you can talk to, someone who listens." Mallow started for the stairs. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ash."

"Yeah," Ash whispered as Mallow walked away. She probably didn't hear him, but he didn't think she needed to. Not anymore. Things were finally starting to return to normal.

When Ash retired to his room that night, the first thing Lillie said was, "I saw you and Mallow talking earlier. Is everything ok between you?"

Ash flopped back on his bed "Yep, it seems like it. We talked, and kind of let out how we were feeling a little bit. It helped a lot."

"That's such a relief. I was worried that you would keep avoiding one another…"

"Like tiptoeing around a sleeping Loudred, right?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," Lillie said with a grin.

"I think things will be alright from now on," Ash said. He sat up. "Alright, you ready to do a bit more training?"

"Yep! Let's do it."

"Aaaaargh!" Shauna unashamedly yelled in the middle of one of Lumiose City's teeming, labyrinthine streets. Trevor looked apologetically at the staring passers-by. "How can we not find him?!"

"Tell me about it… Where could Greninja have gone?" Serena asked.

"You don't think he decided to leave Kalos, do you?" Tierno asked.

"He and Ash are deeply connected by their bond, correct?" Trevor asked.

"Yes," Serena answered.

"In that case, it is probable that a shift in Ash's emotions or mindset coaxed Greninja back to his side. I assume, anyway."

"Maybe…" Serena muttered. She tuned out of the conversation. Whatever they theorised couldn't be proven anyway, and it was better to not sow some misguided belief into her already contemplative mind. She already wondered far too often whether Ash disliked her. It was a question that she had toyed with a few times throughout their search. But she always pushed those thoughts away. Thinking like that would do no good.

They stepped onto the street leading to Professor Sycamore's lab. The conversation shifted to where they should search next. Serena looked at her trio of friends with wide eyes and an ajar lip. Their willingness to continue the search despite their obvious weariness was astonishing, especially for Shauna to be the instigator of the discussion. They had already spent so much time looking, so much time in which they could have done many other things. Serena couldn't withhold her grin.

They neared the wooden doors. Trevor suggested they visit some of their friends throughout the region to see if they have seen Greninja anywhere. That wasn't too bad an idea, Serena thought. It would give her the chance to reunite with people like Korrina and Miette, as irksome as she was. Maybe they would have some information.

Tierno pushed open the doors. But before they headed off again, Serena agreed with Shauna's desire for a proper rest. Camping, immersing yourself in the wonders of the countryside, was thrilling, but not always comfortable.

They stepped into the lab. Serena was first, and she may as well have stepped into a Blizzard. Her feet froze and her entire body shook with a sudden chill.

Calem was stood inside.

Serena saw, heard, and felt everything once again: the way they held hands, her arms around his shoulders and his around her waist, the tug of her cheeks as she smiled and laughed. Her body remembered those brief sensations from her state of hypnosis, but now that she was awake and in control, they were nauseating. That hadn't been her hand in his, but it had. His arms had hugged her, but she hadn't allowed him to get that close. That smile and that laugh echoed in her head. The sound of her voice that was supposed to show joy was somehow mocking her.

The past few weeks seemed to fracture and crumble away. The joy and camaraderie brought by being around Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor were swapped for the claustrophobic feeling she had experienced within Oak's lab.

"Serena?" Shauna asked, but she barely heard it. How could she when her thoughts were screaming louder than a distressed Jigglypuff? "Serena? Hellooo?" Shauna spoke louder this time.

Although Shauna was not loud enough to overcome the wail of Serena's thoughts, it was enough to alert Calem and Professor Sycamore to their arrival. They turned in slow motion, and when Serena finally saw Calem's face, her stomach and her heart twisted together as if they were connected. The nauseous feeling made her strangely unwell. She remembered staring at that face with adoration. She remembered how real her infatuation had been. She remembered wanting to kiss him. But she had never once thought any of those things. It was terrifying to think of how drastically the hypnosis had altered her thoughts and emotions.

All Serena could see in his face now were the faux memories they made. Calem looked at her, stared, and his eyes were audacious enough to show both sadness and relief, two emotions that he shouldn't feel. Not towards her, not after he had worn a genuine smile when she had been compelled to interact with him. Was his sadness a sign of his remorse? Was it not? Should he be allowed that remorse in the first place?

"Serena… You're here. I… I finally found you," Calem said.

Serena felt her heart quicken and her breath deepen. A charge of adrenaline shot through her and she marched forwards, straight to Calem. He tried to speak again, but Serena swung her arm back and slapped him on the cheek with such force that her palm stung. Those were the first two real sensations she had felt from Calem: anger and pain.

Her friends shouted in alarm behind her, Professor Sycamore looked startled, but all Serena focused on was stopping the tears springing forth in her eyes. They were her tears. They weren't controlled by anybody. They were all hers.

Calem, who had dropped onto his knees and whose hat had fallen off, scrambled to his feet.

"S-Serena–" he tried in a meek voice.

"How could you?" Serena asked. All the vigour she infused into her slap vanished. She spoke quietly, her tone subdued, but she maintained strong eye contact. That seemed to make Calem use Minimize.

"I-I didn't mean for this to happen."

"That doesn't matter. You helped hypnotise me, Calem! Do you have any idea how – how used I feel knowing somebody else controlled me? I still remember everything I did, everything I felt, but it wasn't me. It wasn't real, but it felt real. It's… it's horrible."

"Calem?" Tierno asked. He suddenly looked on guard.

Trevor looked just as on guard. "Isn't that–?"

Trevor was cut off by yet another loud slap. Calem hit the ground again. This time, he fell at Shauna's feet. She glared down at him. He jumped up as quickly as he had fallen, but he may as well have stayed down. Shauna grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him close to her face.

"Everyone–" Professor Sycamore tried but nobody was listening.

"You're Calem?!" Shauna demanded, and he nodded. "What in Arceus' name gave you the right?! Hypnotising someone is something a group like Team Flare would do!"

"I-I know–"

"You know?! If that's the case, then why did you do it? C'mon, we're all waiting to hear. What's your excuse?!"

"Shauna," Serena said. With shaking hands, she slowly peeled Shauna's hands away from Calem and stepped back. "Thank you, but I want to ask him myself."

"Right. Sorry," Shauna said. She folded her arms and stepped back to Trevor's side. Her glare did not relent.

Serena faced Calem once again. She wiped at her eyes quickly.

"Why did you do it, Calem?"

Calem sighed. "No matter what I say, what I did was inexcusable. But… well… I wanted to become Professor Oak's assistant."

Serena waited, but no pitiable, big reason came.

"That's… that's all? That's the reason?" Serena asked when she overcame her speechlessness.

"No!" Calem shouted. Then he sighed again. "Well… not really. Y-You see, I'm the son of two competitive Pokémon battlers. They're pretty famous in the Kalos leagues. When I was younger, I won a junior battling competition–"

"We don't need to hear your life story," Shauna spat.

"N-No, of course not. It's just… it's part of the story…"

Serena sniffed. "…Go on."

"R-Right. I, uhh, I kept winning after that competition, and my popularity rose more and more. But it became too much. It became a chore. I didn't want to live that life anymore. The pressure and the expectations on me became so stressful that I gave up Pokémon battling. My parents didn't like that. After that, I became a shut-in of sorts…

"But I still wanted to work with Pokémon. I decided to become a researcher instead. Professor Oak is known as the most accomplished Pokémon researcher, so I wanted to learn from him. I thought learning from the best would make my parents proud of me again, so I flew to Kanto and became his assistant. But when Ash was due home… Professor Oak told me to leave. 'For my own good', he said. I refused and said I would do anything to continue working with him. He asked me to be a part of the plan. I knew it was wrong but… I agreed… And we're here now…"

Serena looked at the floor. "I…" Serena began. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but she didn't know if it was right. She asked instead, "Why were you looking for me? Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to apologise. I've wanted to apologise since everything happened, but Professor Oak told me to go home before he was arrested… I just want to apologise and explain…"

Serena looked at Calem again and decided her innermost thoughts needed to be said. "I don't care, Calem." His eyes widened. "I don't care about your story, or why you did it because you still helped hypnotise me."

Calem nodded his head. "I… I get it."

"Do you?" Serena asked.

"I do – no, I probably don't. I…I should have left when he told me to. I know I should have left, and I shouldn't have agreed to be a part of it. I'm so sorry, Serena. I'm really, really sorry. If I could change it–"

"But you can't, Calem. And… saying sorry doesn't make up for it. You… both you and Professor Oak used me, and in doing so, you hurt me and made me hurt someone I truly love. I… I don't know if I can forgive something like that. Not right now."

Calem looked at the ground this time, and there it was: remorse, painted all over his expression. This situation did not stop hurting her. She didn't want to hurt anybody, but what she said was how she felt. Because her words hurt him, she didn't like herself for causing some else pain, whether he deserved it or not.

It was then that her natural Endure finally wore off. The tears buried deep in her heart surged upwards. They were ready to spill, but she held them back for a moment longer.

"Please leave, Calem," Serena said.

"Wha…What?" he asked.

"Please leave. Thank you for explaining why you did it. It doesn't mean or change anything, but at least I know that now. Just… please leave…"

Calem looked at her, then at the others, before nodding. He picked up his hat, looked at her once more – which she looked away from – and left the lab.

That was Serena's Final Gambit. When the doors creaked closed, she collapsed to her knees and released her tears, her emotions. She let herself relieve the feelings she had felt after finding out she had been hypnotised. She put her head in her hands and cried, uncaring that four other people were watching her. She had no strength left, so she was beyond thankful when Shauna and Tierno helped her to the nearby settees. At least it was a comfier place to cry.

It was finally crying, it was seeing Calem again and remembering her time without consciousness that Serena realised she had been living within in two illusions in the past few months. The first illusion was her hypnotic state, a world created by others that she was thrown into and manipulated. The second was created by her desire to see Ash again. It was created because she gave herself a job to do. She gave herself a reason to avoid reality, to avoid her emotions. She had cried after finding out what had happened to her, she had felt all the conjoined emotions, but had she really healed yet? Or had she prioritised the search for Greninja and saving Ash? Had she forgotten that she, too, needed to heal?

What was the truth? What were the lies? It felt like those questions were all she knew anymore. She wondered when it would all end.

Crying's therapeutic ability was often underestimated. That thought hit Serena – not for the first time – in the aftermath of her tears when she attained a surprising calm. The packet of tissues Trevor brought her throughout the past hour had been exhausted.

At the best possible moment, Shauna brought in some homemade macarons she had baked a little while ago. What better way was there to console a despairing sole than with something sweet? It was as they ate that Serena decided it was time to talk.

"I'm sorry, everyone," she began. "That probably wasn't very nice to see…"

"He deserved it," Shauna declared.

"I agree. What he did is just unforgivable," Tierno added.

"If I am correct in my assumptions, you deserved to let your emotions out," Professor Sycamore said. "I do not know exactly what happened between the two of you, but I have a rough idea from what I heard. He entered the lab just before you returned and asked if I knew where you were. There is no use dwelling on the past, but if I had known beforehand, I would have sent him away sooner."

"You weren't to know, Professor," Serena said.

"Yes, I know," Professor Sycamore said.

Serena glanced at Professor Sycamore then at the floor. "Do you think… I did the right thing?" she asked.

"Did you speak the truth? Did you let him know how you truly felt? What his actions meant to you?"

"I did."

"Then there is no need to question it. I think that if you say what is in your heart, there is no need to regret it. And you were entirely in the right if you ask me. Hypnotism is a serious crime, after all."

"You're right. Thank you, Professor."

"No thanks are required."

"I wouldn't question it," Shauna said.

"Yes, but you are a lot more impulsive than Serena is," Trevor said.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't be able to forgive someone for something like that. Not so quickly."

"All that matters now is that he's gone, and you could finally speak your mind, Serena," Professor Sycamore said. "But I must ask. Are you alright?"

"Oh… thank you for asking, Professor. Actually, I think… I will be. I still need time to heal. I've been focused on so many things that aren't my own well-being lately. I just need some time to properly heal."

"That's a good thing to realise, you know," Professor Sycamore said.

"That doesn't mean I will stop looking for Greninja. I still want to find him, but I'm not going to make that my whole life. I still… love Ash, so I can't give up. But… I do need some time to myself as well."

"And some rest. We've been on the road for days now," Shauna said.

Serena laughed. "That's true. Alright, let's get some rest," Serena said.

With that, they started heading towards the lab's spare rooms, but not before finishing off the macarons and cleaning up the tissues. That calm Serena previously felt was more prominent now that she had talked out her problems, so she headed to the rooms in a more tranquil state. However, a shadow darted across the room just before they reached the stairs. Serena's eyes widened at what dropped down in front of them.

Finally, Red and Delia's trek through the regions to reclaim Ash's Pokémon was nearing its end. They finished in Johto the previous morning, and their final destination in Kanto was just beyond the craggy peak of Mt Moon rushing by beneath them.

In all, Red had enjoyed their cross-continent journey. They revisited the birthplaces of some of his greatest memories and rekindled their estranged love by incorporating the trip into a makeshift holiday, bringing themselves closer to their son with every passing day. The highlight was the joy that Delia exuded every day. Despite the dormant complications accumulating in the shadows, this was a trip Red would cherish.

Now that their fairy tale vacation was ending, however, reality seemed to be hopped up on a triple Agility. The day that Red had to tell Delia what he had planned in the background was a Ghost-type concealed in a wall: right beside you, waiting to attack without you even knowing it. Would she endure the attack, or would it shatter the shield forged by their trust? Red trusted their durability as a couple.

But that was not all they had to worry about. Since the incident in Pallet Town and his conversation with Professor Oak, it felt like thousands of Electrode were buried centimetres beneath Kanto's streets. One wrong step could be fatal because the organisation that was hunting Ash, the organisation that once hunted him, were lurking all over. Pallet Town, Pewter City, Cerulean City: anywhere connected to anybody involved in Oak's plan was in danger. That had made traversing Kanto rather difficult thus far. Why they chose not to spy on those in other regions was confusing, but it had been beneficial. They had to be extra careful now. Thankfully, nobody knew of Ash being alive so they could not accidentally give it away.

Within a few moments, Mt Moon was behind them, and the Swellow and Staraptor they were riding started descending. Thinking quickly, Red told them to move nearer a small group of trainers that were flying in at the same time. It was a small amount of cover, but it would do.

They touched down on the tiled pathway of Cerulean City just in front of the Water-Type gym. Without stopping, Red and Delia jogged to the door and knocked. As they waited for the door to be opened, Red glanced around in every direction. People were moving about the streets, chatting, eating, acting completely normal. Nobody stood out.

The door opened and behind it, as Red had hoped, was Misty. But there was one thing he had not accounted for. Everybody else they had visited were shocked to see them. Misty, on the other hand, had her arms folded and wore a big scowl. She looked furious.

"Hi, Misty," Delia said warily, "could we come in for a little bit?"

Misty didn't move.

"Why didn't you tell me Ash was alive?" Misty asked in a voice that was both serious and saddened.

Red and Delia's eyes widened, and immediately, Red glanced around the street. Suddenly, one person stood out. It was a woman dressed in casual clothes that anybody would have missed. She was standing against the nearest lamppost to the Cerulean gym. He only noticed her now because she was staring right at them without looking away. She started hovering her hand over her pocket. Red looked urgently at Delia.

"Misty, could we please continue this inside?" Delia asked.

"Why didn't you tell–"

Delia stealthily nodded towards the woman. Misty looked at her unstealthily – Red cringed – before stepping aside and letting them in. Red glanced at the woman once more before following Delia in. Red was not comforted at all when the door closed behind them.

Misty led them to one of the back rooms, offered them each a seat, but did not sit. She folded her arms again and raised her brows expectantly.

Red closed his eyes, dropped his head forward, and pinched his nose. He sighed internally.

"How did you find out?" Delia asked.

"That Ash is alive?" Misty asked. Honestly, it felt like saying that was just a dig at them. "It was completely by chance. I have a pen pal from the Alola region, and she happened to mention meeting a boy called Ash from Kanto. It had to be the same person, and you just confirmed it."

Red glanced out the window. The woman was walking around the corner.

"I see…" Delia said.

"Professor Oak included me in his plan, but even so, I wasn't sure if he had really died or not. I went through all of that suffering, all that loneliness…"

"We all did, Misty," Delia said.

"What do you mean?"

"We all thought he was dead for a little while. It wasn't until Jessie, James, and Meowth found him by chance that we learned the truth. We all felt it, Misty."

Misty looked away, and her eyes softened. She sighed and dropped her arms. "Is… Is Ash alright?"

Delia nodded. "We think so, yes. Everything that happened hurt him, but he's met some new people, and Dawn, Brock, and Clemont are with him now."

"That's… good."

Red looked out the window again. The lady was closer.

"Misty, we were going to tell you. We decided to retrieve all of Ash's Pokémon first – that's the main reason we're here. We have travelled to each region, and this is our last stop. It's just unfortunate that you learned the truth before we could tell you."

"I see…" Misty said. "I'm… sorry I was angry."

"You don't have anything to apologise for. I completely get it. If anybody had withheld that information from me, I would have been just as angry."

Misty nodded. "You're going to see him after this, right?"

"Yes, but–"

"I'm coming too," Misty said.

"Misty–"

"I'm going to see him. That was my plan anyway, and you can't change my mind. I've been living with the guilt of what I said to him for a while, and it's killing me. Knowing that Ash is alive gives me a chance to fix my mistake!"

Red glanced at the window once again, quicker this time. The lady was leaning against one of the open windows, a phone in her hand. His heart leapt. Did she hear what Misty just said?

Delia started speaking again, but Red tapped her shoulder and subtly shook his head. He nodded over his shoulder, and both ladies looked at the window.

"What's the matter, Red?" Delia asked. Red nodded at the window again. "Is there something there?"

Red spun around, and his heart stopped.

The lady was gone.

Red pulled out his phone. As he started typing a message to tell Delia and Misty about the woman, it started ringing. Blue was calling. Red answered the phone and put it on speaker mode.

"Red, we have a huge problem."

Hi! I'm back with another chapter!

We're nearing the end of the Akala Island Arc, which has been longer than I had anticipated, but oh well! Things are starting to get going now!

I hope you enjoyed!